There always feels like this massive void when you’re between jobs. Especially if you worked somewhere for many years, only to have been made redundant. In scenarios like this, you didn’t anticipate the need to find a new job. Nothing has been lined up, so you’re left floating around aimlessly until any interviews or job offers finally come through.
You don’t need to be told that this is very mentally draining. It’s bad for your mental health, you lose confidence in yourself, and the void drags on longer and longer.
Instead of locking yourself away and falling into a pit of despair, here are three practical things you can do to fill the void between jobs:
Part-time work
The first thing to do is look for some part-time work. This relates to any form of work that you can do as you please, while you look for a permanent job.
Ideally, you want things that don’t require extensive interviews or contracts. For example, you can become a part-time delivery driver to earn money on the side. As you can see here https://www.shiply.com/us/delivery-driver-jobs, lots of delivery jobs are posted daily, and you can try to claim them. Similarly, you have things like Deliveroo or Uber Eats, where you can be a part-time delivery driver.
Naturally, other ideas exist, but this is an example of something that requires little effort yet makes you feel productive and keeps your finances ticking over.
Seek out work experience
Alternatively, you may want to spend time gaining practical work experience in your chosen field. Let’s say you work in digital marketing – you could try finding ways to gain more experience in this industry.
A couple of good ideas spring to mind. Firstly, contact companies and see if they’ll accept you for work experience. It might be unpaid, but at least you’re out and about doing something, honing your skills.
Secondly, volunteer at charities and offer to run their marketing strategies. This gives you active work experience and will be useful when you apply for jobs.
Through gaining work experience, you make yourself a better candidate when applying for new jobs in your field. You’ve got more things to call upon, but you also demonstrate your eagerness to learn and develop.
Employers are instantly more impressed by someone that’s filled their gap between jobs with work experience, rather than someone that has nothing to say.
Focus on personal development
Lastly, you should look inwards and focus on yourself. Think about ways in which you can improve personally. If you were let go from a previous job, you may want to look at why this happened and why you perhaps failed.
By working on yourself, you can develop new skills and grow in self-confidence. It’s a fantastic way to fill the void between jobs as you stop yourself from falling into a routine of self-pity every single day.
The moral of the story is that losing your job isn’t the end of the world. Don’t waste valuable time doubting yourself or falling into a pit of despair. Try any of these ideas to occupy your time as you seek a new job.
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